Where's the Beach?

So, I guess the most important thing about this post is the talk about my CT scan results. Officially blood-clot free! I will spare you all the very frustrating, annoying details about doctors, waiting, waiting, needles, more waiting. All that matters, really, is that the clot is gone. I will be on Xarelto for another six months, at least. I may not ever really know the cause of the clot. This, of course, is a bit unsettling. I feel like I'll always have this huge "what if" hanging over my head. Just waiting for another one essentially. Waiting, and hoping that it's caught in time. I was off work on Friday, and spending almost the whole day in the doctors' offices is not the ideal way to spend a day off from work. But, I will say that my sister being there with me meant the world. It's not fun to spend time waiting, especially in such a depressing type of clinic. But she did. And she never complained. After my scan, we both went and got our hair cut then...

Working it Out Yesterday I ended up going for a run after work. I wasn't feeling the best. Not sure how to explain it, almost nauseous but not quite, upper tummy area hurting. I was going to just play any workout by ear (or tummy as the case was). My plan was just to see what I could do. I thought the fresh air might help make me feel better. And it actually did. It was a little chilly at the start, my thumbs were frozen, but the air felt great on my face. I did right at 3 miles. I was feeling so much better after the run, endorphins I'm sure, so I decided to take a little spin on my bike (on the trainer mind you). I cranked up the music and got to it. I wasn't sure what my plan was going to be, just spin and play around with the gears or try out a trainer workout from Angela at Happy Fit Mama . I didn't write it down though, and ended up sort of making up my own workout. I think it was a pretty darn good one too and was happy to have her inspiration to make up my ...

This isn't super fun for Fun for Friday , but I do still get questions about the blood clot situation. I had another follow-up appointment yesterday, so I thought I'd share about that. Source: katelynapplegate.com via Janessa on Pinterest My appointment was at 11:30. I got there at 11:25 and was promptly taken back to do lab work and vitals. Unfortunately the guy who did the blood draw this time was not nearly as gentle as the previous lady. It hurt like heck and is all bruised up. Have I mentioned how much I hate needles, shots, blood draws? After that I was sent back to the waiting room. It was packed just as it was the last time. It looked like the majority of people were there for chemo. But apparently that didn't mean I'd get in to see the doctor any quicker. After 2 1/2 hours, all patience was gone. Jason had taken time off work to be there with me, so he was getting really antsy too. At 3 hours into the wait (no lunch yet by the way), I finally go...

Eat Your Veggies Salad I'll start with something lighter before moving on to the nitty gritty. Last night I decided to roast up the beets and butternut squash I had on hand. I had originally wanted to use the beets to try to recreate a salad I had out, but decided I wanted to do more of a roasted veggie salad. What ended up happening was a concoction of roasted beets and butternut squash with wheat berries (was going to us quinoa but was out), chickpeas, spinach, Honeycrisp apple, feta, and an orange vinaigrette. The vinaigrette started off with orange juice, rice wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, agave, salt, pepper, olive oil. Jason took over and added in minced shallots, Dijon mustard, garlic powder. The apples did take it more towards a warmer weather dish, but the veggies were still warm as were the wheat berries. I did like how the apples added both crunch and a hint of sweetness to help offset the earthiness of the beets. I am glad I went with the wheat berries. ...

Recapping This weekend was pretty good. I was able to get out of the house for a bit on Saturday. Jason and I walked close to 4 miles before getting ready. I actually put on real clothes, did my makeup AND hair. I felt human again. The weather was fantastic - about 70 degrees and sunny. The first stop was my piece of hell on earth - Toys R Us. I needed to get a doll for my niece and had a Groupon that could only be used in stores. Of course. I would have gone earlier, but the whole blood clot ordeal has cramped my style. I walked in and the lines were all the way into the aisles. Carts piled high with toys, and screaming, crying, cranky kids abound. Fun. I found the doll quickly and was so lucky to have ended up in line behind a very kind lady. I think she saw the terror in my eyes as I clutched that darn doll tightly. She let me go in front of her as I only had the one item. I guess some people are still kind after all. We had a few more stops to make for other gifts that I had...

I didn't really feel up to writing a Fun Facts Friday post. Right now I'm not feeling too "fun." I have had so many of you email me asking more about what's going on, what a blood clot means, and how I'm being treated. So, I thought I'd answer a few questions, maybe share some of my feelings about this as well. How Did it Happen? Last Friday I had gone for a run, come back and stretched like normal. I stood up to roll up my yoga mat and felt a strange, almost pinch near my clavicle. I pushed around trying to pinpoint the cause of the pain, but never could find "the spot." Saturday I kept feeling strange pain but didn't really think much of it. Sunday morning, however, I woke up with a swelling right at my clavicle. It hurt like crazy and just continued to get worse throughout the day. The whole area near my clavicle was swollen, red, hot. There is a lymph node right in that area called the supraclavicular lymph node. Since I had bee...

Well, this morning I went back to the doctor thinking I'd end up with another painful antibiotic shot. Instead I was sent to the hospital for an ultrasound. The concern was a blood clot in my neck. I wish I would have eaten breakfast is all I can say. I had expected to be at work by the time they were checking me in to the hospital. Long story short - blood clot. My doctor wanted to try a new treatment using Xarelto rather than put me in the hospital for the traditional treatment. All I know is that I'm kind of scared. I was told not to do anything either so any form of stress relief I have always turned to, running or lifting, I can no longer do. I don't know how long I'm going to be unable to be active either. My course of medication is 21 days with frequent trips back for blood work and monitoring. So today I need to find things to be thankful for rather than worrying about something I can't fix right away. I'm thankful for: My husband for either ma...